Eternal Flame
by SPD Time Shadow
Summary: As a prestigious member of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm captured the hearts of the nation but when a particularly intriguing girl captures his own heart, how will he handle it? Challenge from the Marvel Universe Forum, set by Clownwithachainsaw.
1. Chapter 1

Peter was rushing around the crowded apartment as he prepared for work. He was trying to take in Johnny's words but his inability to multitask resulted in him stopping momentarily and turning to face his new room-mate.

"I just wanna settle down, you know. Like you with Mary Jane. How d'you do it Pete, seriously? Every time I've come close to a relationship my duties get in the way. "Johnny was saying as Peter finally stopped to listen. He didn't understand though; Johnny's identity as the Human Torch was widely known. Surely any girls he'd been with would know of his commitments; it was a lot harder for Peter who had kept his identity concealed under his mask.

"That's not why your here Johnny, remember that." Peter replied simply, not wanting to step on anyone's toes.

"I know, I know," he replied, pausing as he sat up on the bed. "I'm here cos Reed's a tool and he thinks I'm outta control. Well I'll show him outta control when I-"

Peter cut him off. "You're not gonna do anythin Johnny because if you do you'll just prove Reed right." He'd put it as best as he could but the truth was, Johnny was a hot head and he preferred to embrace his powers rather than think of them as something to hide. For him it wasn't so bad, but for former team-mate Ben Grimm, things had been very different. Johnny just didn't consider other people's feelings a lot, that was his main problem.

Peter prepared to exit the apartment as Johnny stood up. "Hey, I wanna come with you today, ok?"

"Come where exactly?" Peter was wondering what interest Johnny had in the Daily Bugle.

"Well, I'll walk with you. I wanna pick some stuff up anyway," Peter shot him a wary look. "With my own money." Johnny continued, prompted by his friend's glare. He raised his hands in innocence before giving Pete the middle finger when he turned around.

The two left the apartment building and took to the stairs. When they finally reached the outdoors, they were inside a sort of alley with the apartment on one side and a row of shops on the other. It was along this row that the pair walked as they continued their chat about Johnny's favourite subject: Johnny.

Their conversations were disrupted by explosions from across the street. The familiar figure of Shocker could be seen as he blasted at innocent bystanders with his powerful gauntlets.

"Will you be able to handle Shocker while I get 'changed'?" Peter asked Johnny, who had removed his top layer of clothes to reveal his Fantastic Four suit.

"Go for it Pete, leave him to me." Johnny looked determined as he burst into flames and flew at Shocker. The propulsion that sped Johnny towards the villain threw the latter into the wall. Johnny had now landed and had Shocker backed into a corner as Spiderman's well-known enemy pulled his body out of the wall, causing small amounts of rubble to fall.

"That the best you got, Matchstick?" Shocker taunted as Johnny grew ever-increasingly angry. "I'm not surprised you were kicked off your team, you're a bit too much of a loose cannon, don't you think?"

Johnny fell right into the trap. He flew at Shocker, but the villain only ducked and tripped him sending him through the wall and onto the other side. Johnny was still reeling from the force of going right through the wall when Shocker blasted the remains to clear his path. Johnny choked as the debris covered him; he was in trouble now.

Shocker's gauntlets were glowing once more, preparing for the final blow. He laughed as he savoured the moment, the defeat of a superhero as widely known as the Human Torch. As he readied them for fire, the glow suddenly dulled and mini explosions sent Shocker flying backwards as his gauntlets appeared to pack up.

"You should get your toys fixed before playing with them." A voice said. Both Shocker and Johnny looked up to the rooftop to see the silhouette of a fine-figured woman, highlighted by the back-drop of the sun. Her tight black leather suit magnified her curves as she stood atop the buildings in glorious magnificence.

"You!" Shocker announced furiously as he dragged himself backwards before finally standing and high tailing it away from the scene. Johnny hadn't noticed, he was still staring at his beautiful saviour and watching her every move. When she prepared to leap off the building, Johnny's heart skipped a beat as she landed next to him...


	2. Chapter 2

Johnny was still on the floor, staring starry eyed at his saviour. Her black suit perfectly contrasted with her platinum blonde hair which fell perfectly over her shoulders. The tightness of the suit showed off her fine figure and had Johnny grinning stupidly like a child at the sight of her.

Meanwhile, Peter had changed into his Spiderman outfit and had raced towards the scene of the damage, only to find that Shocker had fled. Then he saw Johnny lying on the floor, then he followed the Fantastic Four member's eye line and saw who we was looking at...

'F-F-Felicia?' he stuttered, still looking at the woman

'Please, not in front of the amateur honey,' she replied, looking down at Johnny. 'Don't want _everyone _knowing who I am'

Johnny now pulled himself up off the floor, realising how stupid he looked. 'That's a pretty name' he said, but not in his usual charismatic tone; it was more of a shy statement, accompanied with the expression of a lovestruck puppy. Peter just rolled his eyes, however Johnny had now realised who 'Felicia' had been calling an amateur...

'Hey! I'm no amateur! Don't you know who I am!' he snapped, now seeming less interested in her after having his reputation insulted.

'I'm afraid not, you see I only work with the best' she replied, calm and casual as she checked her fingernails and clearly amused that she'd got Johnny so riled. 'Anyway, I'll be seeing you around Pete' she said as she looked towards Spiderman. 'Don't go getting yourselves killed anytime soon' and with that she leapt up the wall that Johnny had been thrown into and disappeared out of sight.

Johnny looked at Pete. 'Who was that?' He snapped angrily.

'Felicia Hardly, a.k.a. Black Cat. We've worked together a couple of times' Pete answered simply

'Well I don't like her...at all!' Johnny retorted, still irritated that she had dismissed him so easily. Everywhere he went he was recognised as Johnny Storm, The Human Torch and member of the Fantastic Four. But she had simply disregarded him as an amateur, a nobody; she hadn't even known who he was... 

'That's only cos she upset you!' Peter laughed 'Before she shot you down, you couldn't keep your eyes off her and you know it'

'Shut up Pete' Johnny mumbled

'Come on, I gotta go to work but you just let yourself in and rest up; Shocker hit you pretty hard'

_Eight Hours Later_

Peter turned the key in the door, hearing it open with a satisfied clink before entering the apartment and closing the door behind him. Johnny was sitting on the sofa, eating crisps and watching some action film on the TV

'Hey Johnny' Peter said as he moved between the rooms in the apartment to tidy his stuff away, and Johnny's too.

'Oh hi Pete' Johnny's reply was muffled by the amount of crisps he'd shoved into his mouth. 'How was work?'

'Not too bad' he replied, satisfied that everything was in order. 'Want anything to eat?'

But Johnny didn't hear him; he got bored with his film and had been flicking through the channels to find something else to watch. He had stopped at the news, where a familiar face was plastered over the screen

'..._and it appears that New York isn't short on heroes, with the return of a heroine dubbed by the press as 'Black Cat'. Earlier today she stopped notorious villain Shocker, who had overpowered Fantastic Four member The Human Torch in the fight and-'_

Johnny switched the TV off, his face a picture of anger

'What? He didn't overpower me, he got lucky! Seriously what is this girl's problem? She's got serious ego issues Pete I'm tellin ya'

Peter just looked at Johnny; was he seriously accusing someone else of having a massive ego?


End file.
